Abstract

The perceptual center (P-center) is fundamental to
the timing of heterogeneous event sequences, including music
and speech. Unfortunately, there is currently no comprehensive
and reliable model of P-centers in acoustic events, so P-centers
must instead be measured empirically. This study reviews
existing measurement methods and evaluates two methods in
detail—the rhythm adjustment method and a new method
based on the phase correction response (PCR) in a synchronous
tapping task. The two methods yielded consistent
P-center estimates and showed no evidence of P-center context
dependence. The PCR method appears promising because it is
accurate and efficient and does not require explicit perceptual
judgments. As a secondary result, the magnitude of the PCR is
shown to vary systematically with the onset complexity of
speech sounds,which presumably reflects the perceived clarity
of a sound’s P-center.